The British government is close to agreeing a deal between employers and unions on the contentious issue of temporary workers - paving the way for a potential end to a long stalemate in Europe over the issue.

Temporary - or "agency" - workers would get new pay rights after working for an employer for 12 weeks under a government-brokered deal that was reported last night to be the subject of last-minute wrangling between the CBI employers' body and the Trades Union Congress.